


Biography of Joseph William Wilson (Jericho)

by Rachel_Ehrlich



Category: New Teen Titans, Teen Titans (Comics)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-31
Updated: 2019-12-31
Packaged: 2021-02-27 05:28:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,586
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22041835
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rachel_Ehrlich/pseuds/Rachel_Ehrlich
Summary: Annotated biography of the DC Comics original version of Jericho from the New Teen Titans, introduced in 1984. Includes rebirth in Geoff Johns' Teen Titans run of 2003, but ignores all later incarnations, especially the stupidity that was the New 52. Current DC version is practically a different character (in my opinion).
Kudos: 5





	Biography of Joseph William Wilson (Jericho)

**Name:** Joseph William Wilson

 **Alias:** Jericho

 **Height:** 6’0”

 **Weight:** 195 lbs.

 **Hair:** blonde & curly

 **Eyes:** sea green

 **Blood type:** O Rh(-) {1}

 **Marital Status:** single

 **Occupation:** artist & musician

 **Motivation:** Upholding the Good

 **Power:** Able to phase into and possess people upon making eye contact or physical contact (latter works on unconscious targets only). Whites of his eyes go black when using his power. Able to use target’s powers/abilities, but lacks target’s knowledge and skill in the use of said powers/abilities. Able to speak in target’s voice, using his or her speech patterns, only when target allows it or is unconscious; otherwise, target retains full control of his or her vocal abilities. If target resists possession, the result is a “six megaton headache you’re gonna get tomorrow” (Cyborg, New Titans #52). Absorbs subconscious information from target (New Titans #61), but has no control over this aspect of his power.

 **Power Limitations:** Ineffective if eye contact cannot be made (target won’t look at him or wears protective lenses that prevent eye contact); less effective on non-humans, making control more difficult and of shorter duration {2}; not effective on animals; strength of power (ability to control target for any given length of time) dependent upon physical strength and willpower, and thus decreases significantly if Jericho is tired or injured.

 **Skills:** artist, musician, detective, martial artist, excellent swimmer (New Teen Titans #33)

 **Wealth:** affluent

 **Personal Limitations:** Mute since childhood (communicates via American Sign Language and/or writing notes; after resurrection in a new body, this is no longer an issue); serious irrational attraction to art (will risk own life to save artwork).

 **Relatives:** Adeline Kane Wilson (mother); Slade Joseph Wilson (father: Deathstroke the Terminator); Grant Wilson (elder brother, deceased: Ravager I); Rose Wilson Worth (younger half-sister; Slade & Lillian Worth’s daughter: Ravager IV) {3}; Wade DeFarge (uncle, deceased; Slade’s half-brother: Ravager III)

 **Place of birth:** England {4} **Date of birth:** 22 October 1965 {5}

 **Place of death:** the dimension of Azarath

 **Place of rebirth:** The Church of St. Sebastian, Phoenix, Arizona

 **Cause of rebirth:** Raven completed the proper incantation and tossed the computer disk containing Joseph’s spirit into the blood pool

 **History:** Joseph William Wilson was born to Adeline Kane and Slade Wilson in England in 1965. His older brother, Grant, had been born in 1961. Both Addie and Slade had been members of the United States Army, though Addie hadn’t been active since becoming pregnant with Grant. The week after Joseph was born, Slade defied Army orders and went to rescue his friend Wintergreen, who had been captured by the Viet Cong. For this, he was discharged from the Army and secretly turned to mercenary work to sustain his need to feel useful. Unknown to his family, Slade had not only kept the powers he’d gained from a previous military experiment, he’d passed on the resulting genetic mutation to his younger son.

Although they were brothers, Joseph and Grant were complete opposites. Joseph was nonviolent, reveling in singing, music, and art, while Grant followed in his father’s footsteps, learning to shoot and fight, and later, enrolling in military school.

The secret life of Slade Wilson collided with his family life when an international terrorist, the Jackal, sought to extract information from Slade as to who hired him to kill Colonel Akba Kadar, a friend and business associate of the Jackal’s current employer. To this end, the Jackal sent several men to kidnap five-year-old Joseph {7}. Former Army Captain Adeline managed to kill two and wound one attacker before she was taken out of action by a gas grenade. The last thing she heard before losing consciousness was one attacker telling another, “We got the kid; Deathstroke will negotiate with us now.”

Slade – who had been in Africa, supposedly leading a safari – returned home the next day and confessed to Addie that he was secretly Deathstroke the Terminator, a mercenary who never misses. Together, he and Addie confronted the Jackal in Tangier, where Joseph had been taken. Unfortunately, Slade’s priority was to protect his client’s confidentiality, not save his son’s life, as the dialogue from Tales of the Teen Titans #44 shows:

Slade: “I cannot reveal that information. My word is my bond.”

Addie: “They’ll kill our son if you don’t. Nothing’s worth that!”

Slade: “My bond is.”

With arrogant self-confidence, he attacked the Jackal and his men, killing the henchmen and apparently killing the Jackal as well – but not before Joseph’s throat was slashed, severing his vocal cords. {8 a,b}

Joseph’s life was spared by rushing him to the closest hospital, but that wasn’t enough to appease Addie’s fury. Her son had been maimed, and not once had Slade visited the hospital where she had spent every minute. She tried to kill Slade, but only succeeded in shooting out his right eye. Unable to bring herself to fire again, she divorced Slade and raised her sons alone, first in England, then in America. {9}

Joseph’s first exposure to the Titans was indirectly, when his brother Grant assumed the costumed identity of the Ravager in order to kill the Titans. Grant had received Deathstroke-like powers from a H.I.V.E. experiment, but unlike Slade, Grant’s power fed on his own body, eventually killing him. Neither Joseph nor his mother held the Titans responsible for Grant’s untimely demise, and nearly two years would pass before the Titans played a role in Joseph’s life again.

Meanwhile, Adeline had lured Joseph into working for her full-time in Searchers Inc., where he accompanied her on her intelligence-gathering missions. On one such mission, Adeline was heading up a staircase, unaware that an on-duty guard was taking aim to shoot her. Joseph saw the man, but being mute, was unable to warn his mother. Desperate to stop the guard, he locked eyes with the man and wished he could stop him – only to find out that he could do just that. Joseph had used his power for the first time, and Adeline made sure that her son’s new-found skill was honed to perfection in short order. She also made sure that Slade didn’t learn of his surviving son’s abilities (whether out of petty revenge or in fear of Joe’s safety was never made clear). {10 a,b}

Several weeks after his brother’s death, Joseph met Penelope (Penny) Lord, the daughter of Arthur Lord, a former H.I.V.E. member who had requested Adeline Kane’s help in defecting from the criminal organization. Adeline’s covert intelligence agency, Searchers Inc., was trying to keep Arthur and Penny safe from the H.I.V.E. assassins who were stalking them. Joseph and Penny fell in love and planned to be married, when the boat Penny and Arthur were on exploded. Joseph was so devastated he stopped painting, never knowing that his mother had rigged the explosion to cover the Lords’ escape and make the H.I.V.E. think they were dead.

Penny returned to Joseph’s life a year later, when her new husband, Curt, was abducted by the H.I.V.E. during their honeymoon in Paris. Adeline confessed her part in Penny’s “death” to Joseph, who forgave her for the deception. In aiding Penny, Joseph made the unpleasant discovery that she and her father had not wanted to escape from the H.I.V.E., but rather, form their own new branch of it. Their immediate aim was to take over Qurac and use it as their new HQ, a plan which Joseph and Adeline foiled. Penny swore eternal vengeance on Joseph for his interference, and although he was dismayed by her true personality, he recovered quickly, even to resuming his artwork. {11}

Having met President Marlo of Qurac during Lord’s attempt to overthrow him, Adeline struck up a friendship with him and became part of his armed forces, quickly attaining a high rank with full security clearance. Unknown to President Marlo, Adeline was working as a double agent for the United States CIA. After memorizing strategic information about Marlo’s planned attack on neighboring Kyran and then erasing the computers, Adeline began to wonder if possible retaliation by Marlo might endanger Joseph. She decided it would be best if Joseph was protected by super-powered friends, and to that end, chose to place him in one of New York’s superhero groups. The Titans were closest in age, but in the process of researching them, she discovered that Slade had infiltrated the group via Tara Markov, and couldn’t introduce Joseph into their midst with her present.

Once Slade and Tara made their move against the Titans, Adeline also sprang into action, trailing Dick Grayson as he searched for his missing teammates and confronting him at the Tower. To convince him of their sincerity, she ordered Joseph to possess Dick, proving to him that they could have easily overpowered him if their motives were shady. Dick relented and allowed Joseph to join him in rescuing the Titans, Nightwing and Jericho debuting simultaneously to battle the H.I.V.E., Deathstroke the Terminator, and Terra.

Tara’s betrayal and death left the Titans angry and suspicious, particularly Gar, who had been in love with her. When the CIA contacted the Titans to let them know that Interpol wanted to question Adeline and Joseph, Gar went off the deep end, attacking Joseph without provocation. Unfortunately, this coincided with the abduction of Adeline by Cheshire, a freelance mercenary who had been hired by Marlo. Desperate to find his mother and uncertain if the Titans would listen to him after Gar’s assault, Joseph turned to Searchers Inc. employee Amber, who accompanied him to Qurac in search of Adeline. Their rescue attempt failed, whereupon Marlo promised to kill Joseph if Adeline continued to refuse his demands that she reveal the information she had wiped from the computers concerning Qurac’s intended invasion of neighboring Kyran. {12} Adeline relented, but the knowledge did Marlo little good; shortly thereafter, Joseph, Adeline, and Amber escaped their prison and regained the upper hand. Their victory, too, was short-lived, as Marlo pulled the pin on a grenade and threatened to kill them all. When Joseph refused to kill Marlo despite Adeline’s prodding {13}, Marlo threw the grenade and ran. Joseph dove on the grenade and hurled it out a window – a risk he took to preserve the priceless paintings that Marlo had sequestered in the room.

After being questioned by Interpol for several days, Adeline and Joseph took the Concord back to New York {14}, where Gar was waiting to apologize for his previous behavior. Shortly thereafter, following a battle with the Fearsome Five which was won largely with Joseph’s assistance, Jericho was made an official member of the Titans and his picture was added to the conference room wall. {15}

Unlike Raven, Joseph never lived at the Tower; he had his own fourth-floor apartment as well as a room at each of his mother’s houses. However, he did still keep a room at the Tower, like all the other Titans who lived elsewhere. Joseph’s room was in the northeast corner of level five (the men’s quarters; the women were on level four). He shared this room with any male guest/former Titan who happened to stay overnight at the Tower, so his room had two double beds. As the living quarters were bi-level, Joseph’s was equipped with visual communication devices to account for his lack of vocal ability. He didn’t keep much in the way of personal items at the Tower, but he did keep lots of art supplies there, as well as many of his musical instruments: a concert grand piano, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, and synthesizer, among others. {16}

Despite having joined a superhero group, Joseph was never a proponent of violence, and always sought a peaceful solution whenever possible. His gentle nature made him highly attractive to women, most noticeably Kole Weathers, who developed an instant crush on him. {17} Though her feelings were not reciprocated, Joseph and Kole became close friends, and he was devastated by the news of her death during the Crisis (which occurred while he, Dick, and Kory were away on Tamaran). Raven was also attracted to Joseph, and while this attraction seemed to be mutual, her fear of unleashing Trigon via emotional expression prevented the two from becoming involved.

The traits that women liked in Joseph, however, were the same traits that some men disparaged him for. Hank Hall in particular was disdainful of Joseph, even going so far as to assume his artistic, pacifistic personality was a sign that he was gay. {18} Joseph himself was occasionally embarrassed that he wasn’t more “masculine” in behavior, as when Abel Weathers’ creatures frightened him but not Kole; having both parents be ex-military toughs meant that even his mother was unsympathetic to what she viewed as “weak” behavior _(see footnote 13 for an example)_. Adeline’s disapproval didn’t stop her from trying on several occasions to recruit Joseph back into Searchers, Inc., but always unsuccessfully.

It was Joseph’s desire to help others that ultimately led to his death. Several months after he joined the Titans, Raven’s inner conflict with her father, Trigon, came to a head. Not knowing the strength of the evil he faced, Joseph possessed Raven and confronted Trigon in his own realm, only to be blasted into a pool of boiling lava by the enraged demon lord. Raven rescued him, healing him of his injuries and sending him back to the Tower, but lost control of herself in the process. After failing to save Azarath from destruction by Trigon’s minions, the Titans faced off against his newly-evil daughter. This time, when Joseph tried to use his powers on her, she used her father’s strength and repelled him violently, nearly killing him. Catatonic, Joseph lay at ground zero when the souls of Azarath filtered through Raven’s body to attack and seemingly destroy Trigon.

Though nothing out of the ordinary was revealed to readers between then and the events of the Titans Hunt story arc, it was claimed that the souls of Azarath, now tainted by the evil of the disembodied Trigon, had been using Joseph as an unwitting host body since that fateful confrontation. {19} The only outward change in Joseph’s behavior was in his attitude toward personal relationships, which occurred for a different reason (see footnote 17). Supposedly the souls lay dormant within Joseph for years, regaining their strength until they could overpower him and use his body as their own. {20} Based in their home dimension of Azarath, they immediately took over the criminal organization known as the Wildebeest Society, which had recently come into conflict with the Titans, and used them to steal the technology they needed to engineer a new host body for themselves. This was necessary because they could feel Joseph’s body dying from the draining demands the thousands of souls placed on it.

Testing was needed to determine what genetic combination would best allow them to survive. To that end, they kidnapped people to use as subjects, and when they determined that human forms were not strong enough to survive the tests, they turned their attention to the Titans, as well as any metahumans known to the Titans. These forms, too, would eventually die, but they would last long enough for the Azarathans to complete their goal: either engineer a form strong enough to house them, or succeed in targeting Superman as their permanent host body.

The process of transferring to the Titans’ bodies required that the Azarathans relinquish their total hold over Joseph. Breaking free of his captors, he sought to save his friends the only way he could – by disrupting the transference. The transference procedure had already leeched most of Joseph’s life energy from him, aging and desiccating his body, and with the last of his strength, he begged his father to end the threat of the Azarathans for good by killing him. Slade complied, driving his sword through Joseph’s back, to the horror of the onlooking Titans. Though Joseph’s body quickly dissolved into ash, his teammates held a funeral service for him after Azarath had been defeated and the Titans returned to Earth.

_“Joseph Wilson is dead, and try as I will, there is precious little I can say. I have spoken to you and you have told me he was loved. Completely. Without reservation. That is his epitaph. I can add nothing more.” -- priest, New Titans #85_

Recently, Young Justice reformed as the Teen Titans along with Starfire, Beast Boy, and Cyborg as mentors. They were attacked by Deathstroke, who had inexplicably killed Wintergreen and mounted his head on a wall. During the attack, Deathstroke informs them that he isn’t Slade at all – he’s Jericho. Apparently, Joseph’s spirit attached itself to Slade Wilson’s body following Joseph’s death, and remained dormant for years while regaining strength. Possessing his father the way Azarath had possessed him, Joseph attacked the Titans ostensibly to prevent other kids in costumes from dying young, the way he had. In reality, his actions implied that his spirit was still tainted with Trigon’s evil, having killed Wintergreen and shot Impulse in the knee. During a second battle with the Teen Titans, Joseph’s blue-tinted translucent spirit, acting without a host body, attempted to possess Cyborg via his cybernetic eye, and ended up digitized by Cyborg’s internal computer and downloaded onto a disc that was stored at Titans Tower. 

The disc remained in the Tower until it was stolen by Bombshell, who was working for Deathstroke as a member of Titans East. Raven then stole the disc from Bombshell and took it to Brother Blood’s church in Phoenix, where she completed the ritual incantation to free Joseph from the Azarathans’ taint and resurrect him. She tossed the disc into Brother Blood’s pool of blood, allowing Joseph to recreate his body as he remembered it – including his inability to speak, though it was not known if this was due to a physical or psychological handicap.

Shortly after his resurrection, Joseph went to New York with Rose to visit with Dick Grayson, after which the half-siblings stopped by the old Titans Island. Both were shocked to see a crude wooden Tower erected there, and even more surprised to find their father inside. Deathstroke had gathered his own superpowered team, called them Titans East, and now unleased them on his children and their team mates. The entire battle was apparently Deathstroke’s way of confirming to himself that the Titans would indeed stand by the Wilson siblings under any circumstance, and once satisfied of that, Deathstroke departed, abandoning his Titans team. The only one who proved difficult to contain was Match, a clone of Superboy with an obsession over Wonder Girl; Joseph possessed him to control his rampage, but was then stuck in Match’s body, as no one knew of a way to control the clone once Joseph left. Jericho left the team to remain at S.T.A.R. Labs in New York while the scientists there tried to find a way to contain Match.

Unfortunately, Joseph’s power had a detrimental effect on his psyche, as a fragment of each person he ever possessed stayed with him permanently. Since he usually possessed villains, these psychic remnants were predominantly evil, and ultimately overwhelmed Joseph’s personality. When this happened, he went on a killing spree, trying to destroy his former teammates and murdering anyone who got in his way. This brought him to the attention of the Vigilante, who hunted him down and carved out his eyes, preventing him from using his power anymore. {21} 

Recently, Joseph’s eyes grew back, though how this happened even he doesn’t know. His sanity stabilized for the present, Joseph fears using his power again, lest his mind shatters once more.

* * *

{1} Vandal Savage wanted Adeline’s blood as the basis of an immortality serum (Titans #10-12) because she was type O, the universal donor. Type O is recessive, so type O people can only receive type O transfusions. Adeline was driven insane by a blood transfusion from Slade (Deathstroke the Terminator #34), which would only be possible if Slade were also type O. When both parents are type O, all the children will be type O as well. The Rh factor (+ or -) is independent of blood type, but Rh(-) people can’t accept Rh(+) blood, and for Addie’s blood to be truly useful to Vandal, she should be Rh(-), which would require Slade to be Rh(-) as well. Rh(-) is also recessive, which means that both Grant and Joe would have been O Rh(-).

{2} Joseph used his power on aliens and non-humans fairly regularly, and only occasionally was it a problem (or potential problem):

  * Dove (manifestation of Order): Joseph is violently expelled from Dawn Granger’s body when she transforms into Dove, as she isn’t human in that form. Raven’s intervention is required to keep Joseph from slipping into shock from the physiological disruption.
  * Eric Forrester (psychic vampire, part machine): Possessing Eric went awry on two levels: (1) Joseph was not in control, Eric was; and (2) Joseph was unable to leave Eric’s mechanical body without Raven’s assistance.
  * Superman (Kryptonian): Donna mentions that Joseph’s “mutant power” might not work on Superman, since he’s an alien, and after taking possession of Superman, Joseph agrees that the Kryptonian’s alien physiology makes it harder for him to maintain control.
  * Athyns (unidentified alien species): Joseph mentions that it is difficult to control Athyns because he is an alien. However, Athyns was incredibly hostile and Joseph was severely injured, which are both factors that decrease his control of the target.
  * Raven (half-demonic): Joseph is able to possess Raven as he would any other target IF she allows it, but is unable to possess her body when it is controlled by Trigon (attempting to do so very nearly killed him).
  * Hyperion and Phoebe (Greek Titan-gods): Although Joseph didn’t have any problem possessing Hyperion (pre-Crisis), some readers complained that a mere mortal shouldn’t even have been able to enter a “god’s” body, much less do so without repercussions. Therefore, when Joseph possessed Phoebe (post-Crisis), the merging produced incredible pain for both of them.
  * Match (bizarro-like clone of Superboy): Joseph’s control slips occasionally, mainly due to the strength of Match’s rage and the length of time Joseph has to possess him.



{3} Rose was first introduced in the DC Universe in Deathstroke #16, which featured the story of how Slade and Lillian met. Slade didn’t find out that Rose was his daughter until after Lillian was killed by Wade DeFarge, and combined with Rose not joining the Titans until well after Joseph’s death, Joseph was never aware that he had a younger half-sister. When Joseph’s spirit fought the Teen Titans, he met Rose for the first time in her Ravager identity, although he didn’t have a chance to interact with her normally until after his physical body was restored (Teen Titans #41).

{4} Nowhere in the Titans issues was Adeline Kane’s ancestry explored. However, in the Deathstroke series (during the World Tour ‘93 story arc), it was stated that Addie’s family was British. In Tales of the Teen Titans #44, Addie tells Dick, “My parents were wealthy, and I had inherited the family home.” This indicates that Kane Manor is properly located in England, although various writers appear to place it in upstate New York at times. Joseph’s presence in Kane Manor as a week-old newborn suggests that he was born in England.

{5} Joseph’s birthday was never mentioned in the pages of any comic. October 22 is the date that George Perez drew the initial character sketch for Jericho. Based on a line in New Teen Titans #11, which stated that Grant was 7 when Joseph was 3, we know that Joseph is 4 years younger than his brother. However, his brother’s birth year is conflicted by information given in the series; in New Teen Titans #2, the dates on Grant’s tombstone read 1961 - 1980, but in Tales of the Teen Titans #44, Addie tells Dick that Grant was born when Johnson escalated the war in Vietnam, which would have been 1966. Therefore, Joseph would have been born either in 1965 or 1970. Since the 1961 date was shown on panel in New Teen Titans #2, it can be assumed that this is the correct year of Grant’s birth, making 1965 Joseph’s birth year.

{6} Joseph was 4 years younger than Grant, who died at 19. Roughly a year and a half passed between Grant’s death and Joseph joining the Titans (based on the timing of the story in the Teen Titans Spotlight on Jericho miniseries); another half a year passed before the second appearance of Trigon (based on the narrative comment in New Teen Titans #1 that Joseph had only known Raven for a few months), and at least 2 years had elapsed since the possession of Joseph by the souls of Azarath (based on their comment to Dick in New Titans #82 about it being “a simply amazing few years”). This means that approximately 4 years passed between Grant’s death and Joseph’s, making them about the same age when they died.

{7} Again, no specific age was given for Joseph’s kidnapping, but in New Teen Titans #11, mention is made that “several years pass” after the scene when Joseph is 3. This would put his age at roughly 5 years, which is consistent with the artwork portraying him during that incident.

{8a} Although Joseph couldn’t speak, he could still make noise, as noted in New Teen Titans #1 (Baxter): “There is fear in Wilson’s wide green eyes as his throat makes wild, rasping sounds that form no words...” Also, it stands to reason that he could make any sound that isn’t dependent upon the vocal cords -- whistling, for example. However, to enforce the sense of isolation that his inability to talk created, Joseph was not given any sound effects or thought balloons until the events just prior to and during Titans Hunt (first sound effect: New Titans #65 [a strangled scream when Raven attacks him]; first word balloon: New Titans #75; first thought balloon: New Titans #82). As a spirit, Joseph could speak unimpeded, despite lacking vocal cords altogether, and he is not mute in his new body.

{8b} The Jackal incident has permanent repercussions in Joseph’s life in addition to rendering him mute. Appearances aside, he never truly recovers from the trauma of that attack: he refuses to use knives against people (New Teen Titans #52, Amber states, “I got an extra blade. Want it? No, guess you don’t. Keep forgetting you don’t like knives.”), and when Phobia forces him to live his greatest fear (New Teen Titans #27), it’s a warped version of the Jackal’s attack.

{9} This is according to Jericho’s entry in Who’s Who in the DC Universe #1.

{10a} This is according to Jericho’s book on the personal histories of the Titans, as read by Danny Chase in New Titans #47.

{10b} In Titans #9, Joseph tells Dick that he had forgotten the first time he used his power, which was in childhood: his friend Eric fell from the balcony on which he and Joe were playing; Joe caught him, but accidentally phased into Eric when their eyes met, resulting in Eric’s fall. Eric’s personality fragment that remained in Joseph’s head reminded him of the incident.

{11} This is according to the Teen Titans Spotlight on Jericho miniseries.

{12} It is here that Marlo confesses to Adeline that he had been the one to send the Jackal after Joseph: “Many years ago, the Jackal, a terrorist who, by the way, was working under my orders, cut your son’s throat, depriving him of his speech.” (New Teen Titans #52) One can assume that this confession was meant to show her that he really meant business -- if he had ordered Joseph killed before, as a child, he wouldn’t hesitate to do so again: “Refuse to give me the information that I want, and this time I promise the cut will be much deeper!” This information is contradicted in the Deathstroke Annual #4: Year One, in which Wade deFarge claims that he sent the Jackal after Joe, but never intended for the boy’s throat to be slit. Either Wade’s claims were false or he was merely an intermediary for Marlo, since by the Jackal’s own admission, his employer was a friend and business associate of Colonel Kadar -- and if one had to choose between Marlo and Wade, the former is a far more likely candidate than the latter.

{13} It isn’t made clear in the Titans why Adeline was so insistent that Joseph kill Marlo. If she truly wanted him dead, she could easily have taken the rifle from Joseph and shot Marlo herself. Instead, she yelled at Joseph to do it, berating him even after Marlo was long gone for not “doing what he should have done.” It had long been evident that Slade, a paid killer, didn’t understand Joseph’s distaste of violence; in this scene, we find out that Adeline doesn’t understand her son any better than does her ex-husband. Perhaps this was her way of trying to force him to act in a way that she approved of; that is, to kill on command for the “greater good.”

{14} Amber apparently was allowed to leave immediately, since she isn’t shown accompanying Joseph and Adeline. The use of the Concord to return to New York has two functions: (1) to cut down on the lag time in the story by using a rapid mode of transport, and (2) to subtly indicate just how wealthy Joseph’s family is (the Concord was anything but cheap).

{15} This is according to Tales of the Teen Titans #58.

{16} This is according to the information on Jericho’s Tower room in Titans Source Book.

{17} Kole asked Joseph flat-out if he wanted to have sex with her (New Teen Titans #10). He declined, not wanting to take advantage of her loneliness. Some readers read more into his refusal than was actually there, and assumed the rejection of Kole meant that Joseph was gay, particularly in light of the “nebulous” answer he gave her. In fact, the dialog from the issue refutes that interpretation; Kole states that Joseph is indeed heterosexual, but simply not interested in her:

_Kole: “I’m sorry, Joe. I mean, you **do** like girls... but you don’t want to make love to me?”_

_Joe: “No.” (He is clearly responding to her question, and not her statement about his sexual preferences. Keep in mind that Kole does not understand ASL, so a lengthy explanation on Joe’s part would be useless, else he would have done so.)_

_Kole: “I don’t understand. You do like me, don’t you?”_

_Joe: “Yes. Friends... not lovers.”_

There **had** been plans to make one of the Titans gay, but Perez voted against Jericho being the one, as he felt it was too stereotypical for the gentle, artistic, effeminate-looking character with a strong mother to also be gay (and Joseph’s appearance only became more “effeminate” once he lost the sideburns and grew out his hair in New Titans #57). Despite this, the rumors persisted, especially since Joseph’s character was not developed significantly after the departure of George Perez, and so readers never saw anything of his personal life. To counter the rumor, Perez later made Joseph exceedingly promiscuous (New Titans #55, graphic novel Games), an overcompensation that did nothing to endear the character to anyone.

{18} This is according to the information on Hank Hall (Hawk) in Titans Source Book, and his reaction to Joseph in Hawk & Dove #11 and #12.

{19} After Joseph’s failed possession attempt, Raven rants, “How dare you believe you can possess me! You are to be the slave of Trigon, he who is my father and master over all! As I bow to him, so shall you! As I worship his evil, so shall you! As my soul has been cleaved ‘tween the light and the dark, so shall yours! And you shall embrace his way as your own!” Although the artwork in the issue (New Teen Titans #3 [Baxter]) depicts the individual members of the team, it is clear from the use of the singular “slave” in Raven’s speech that she is still addressing only Joseph. In retrospect, one can claim that this sets up Joseph’s possession by the Azarathans/Trigon during Titans Hunt, although given the lack of any supporting lead-up in the intervening issues, the claim is weak indeed.

{20} The souls of Azarath had a lion-shaped soulself that manifested whenever they wanted to attack someone with their powers. They also restored Joseph’s voice, though how they did this is unknown; most likely they used the bioengineering equipment at their disposal to replace the damaged larynx, as the close-up shot of Joseph’s throat in New Titans #77 (page 18, panel 4) clearly shows a smaller second scar under and to the left of the larger original one. Azarath makes the odd comment in that sequence that, “as easily as my voice was taken from me the first time, it can be taken again.” Perhaps this was a veiled threat to keep Joseph in line, although why they should bother when he was dying anyway is unknown.

{21} The Titans intercepted Vigilante in his quest to kill Jericho, and Rose unleashed her fury on Vigilante for trying to kill her half-brother. Vigilante promised her that he wouldn’t kill Joseph, but once Joseph was captured and taken into custody, Vigilante -- unknown to the Titans -- attacked and blinded him.


End file.
